Door-latch



(No Model.)

0. G. BURKHARDT. DOOR LATCH.

"No. 277,879. Patented May 22,1883,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CONRAD G. BURKHARDT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DOOR-LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 27'7,879, dated May 22, 1883.

Application filed November 20, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CONRAD G. BURKHARDT, of Chicago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Fas'tenings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,

which will enable others skilled in the art to constructed that the lug passes between the wallsof a head in which are made eyes corresponding to a similar eye in the lug, through which the bow of a padlock is passed to secure the same.

piece, g.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view, Fig. 2 is a side elevation, and Fig. 3 is a front elevation, of my invention.

In the drawings, A represents a latch pivoted at a to a door, and provided near its free end with a lug, B, having an eye, I). This latch drops down upon the shoulder c of the catch 0, the lug B, projecting from said latch, passing between the vertical walls (1 d ofthe head D, which forms the upper portion of the catch above the shoulder 0. Below the shoulder 0 the catch is flattened out, forming an extension having apertures, through which bolts or nails pass to secure the. same in position. The wall dis provided with an eye, 6, preferably a little greater in diameter than the eye b, which, when in position, should be immediately opposite to and open into the eye'c, so that the bow of a padlock can be conveniently passed through both. The wall (1 may be similar to d, or it may be cut away, as shown in Fig. 1, in both of which cases the two walls would be connected at their extremities by'a If desired, however, the wall at may be entirely dispensed with, 'it serving principally the purpose of a guide for the lug B. These two parts-namely, the latch A and the catch G-may be placed one on the door and the other on the door-frame, or vice versa, in case of single doors, or one on each door in the case of double doors. Whether used to operate tothe right or left is immaterial, as the latch does both efi'ectually;

My invention is especially adapted to freightcar doors, and as in such cars it is often desirable to provide means for ventilation without unlocking the same I extend the latch and add one or more lugs similar to the lug B, as

shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

When it is desired to lock the door the lug nearest the pivotal point of the latch is dropped into the head and fastened, as hereinbefore explained, and when it is desired to ventilate the car by having the doors slightly ajar, one of the lugs farthest from the pivotal point is utilized. This feature of the invention is an important one--e. g., where perishable freight is carried and it is absolutely necessary to ven tilate the same.

It will also be obvious that my invention can be utilized as an ordinary drop-latch merely to keep the door closed, and at the same time possess the facilities for locking the same, if need be.

WVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A latch or fastening for sliding or swinging doors, consisting of a latch having lugs projecting from near the free end thereof, and a catchhaving a shoulder on which said latch drops, and a head between thewalls of which said lug passes, as hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination of a latch having lugs projecting therefrom, which have eyes or apertures, as shown, with a catch having a head,

in the walls of which are apertures corresponding with and opening into those in the lug, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CONRAD G. BUBK HARDT.

Witnesses:

JAMES H. CoYNE, FRANK D. THOMASON. 

